In Holy Matrimony
by everybreatheverymove
Summary: AU: She only went to Vegas to celebrate her sister's engagement, but she woke up on the floor naked and wrapped in a towel with a male stripper claiming to be her husband. What the hell did she do last night, and how do they get out of it?
1. Chapter 1

**I should be updating _Closing Time_ some day soon, but I just had this idea that wanted to get out and I couldn't shake it from my head once it was there. Hope you like it, enjoy!**

* * *

The morning sunlight pouring through the blind wakes her from her sleep, and she throws a hand over her face to cover her eyes from the brightness.

Pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers and squinting her eyes, she deeply groans as she moves to sit herself up. The sun streams through the window and catches her bare leg.

She opens her eyes slowly, gathering her senses and leaving her slumber as she licks her lips. She glances down at her bare legs with a frown, her hands grasping the small material of the towel resting over her lap. She pulls the cloth up to cover her naked chest and grimaces, noticing her lack of any underwear.

Why the hell was she only wearing a towel? And sleeping on the bathroom floor?

She holds the towel up with her right hand and runs the other through her disheveled hair, her fingers pulling out a couple of flowers. She frowns at the petals in her hand and tosses them aside as she scratches her head confusedly.

It's only then that she notices the heavier weight of her hand, the shiny object adorning her ring finger and the glistening rock sitting atop the band.

She brings her hand down in front of her and flips it over slowly, as though she's afraid of what might happen.

The pitchy scream leaves her mouth and she gasps her right hand over her mouth. "Oh my God, oh my God. No, no, no, no, no." She stutters, the words leaving her mouth so quickly that she barely hears them.

"Babe, are you okay?"

She sits in silence at the sound of the man's voice, folding her legs tight beneath her and backing away from the door.

Who the fuck?!

She shuffles back and leans herself against the curved bathtub, her red hair spilling over the edge. She crosses her arms over her chest protectively and digs her teeth into her bottom lip.

Who the hell is that? And why is he in her hotel room?

She remembers (sort of) hanging around in her room for a little while before her sisters had dragged her out and into the town.

She remembers getting the call from her sister Alice that was engaged. She'd thrown a hissy fit, probing the youngest Kepner for questions about her fiancée. Was he good enough for her? Was he tall? Did he treat her right? Did daddy like him?

She was aware that she herself didn't have the widest history with guys, only two previous boyfriends and a fake marriage to their next door neighbour when she was five.

So, she wasn't exactly in the position to judge, as Alice had pointed out.

The younger sister had then proceeded to inform her of the plans for her engagement party. Just her sisters and a couple of close friends. No fiancée. Lots of alcohol. Vegas.

She hadn't been too thrilled at the idea, and the thought of getting a little too drunk in a notorious town with a bunch of grabby guys and sleazy old men kind of frightened her.

She didn't understand why the party had to be there, but Alice had assured her that they wouldn't be hanging out in a snazzy casino or a gritty bar.

But maybe Alice had lied.

Because otherwise, why was there some guy in April's hotel room?

And why in God's name was she wearing a wedding ring?

The door to the bathroom slowly starts to open and she bites deeper into her lip, blistering the skin with her nerves.

Holy shit.

Okay, so she never expected him to look like that.

Holy crap.

"Was that you screaming?" He asks her softly, an amused expression appearing on his face and she tries to hide her blush under his piercing gaze.

Holy crap.

She shuts her mouth and folds her arms closer to her as he leans against the doorway, flexing his muscled arms as he slips them into his jeans' pockets.

Holy crap.

She looks up at his face, ignoring his clear smirk as she stares into his eyes. Jesus Christ, they're green. She's never seen such a bright eye colour and his gaze makes her fidget nervously.

"Do I know you?" She squeaks, tugging the corners of her lips into a pout and raising her brows when he chuckles.

The man, the green-eyed beautiful-caramel-skinned six-pack-owner, takes a step forward, holding his hands up defensively when she moves herself closer to the bathtub.

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't know you." She retorts, glancing down at his toned chest briefly with a soft sigh before casting her eyes to the tiled floor.

Holy crap.

"Well, you knew me last night." He tries with a smirk as he walks closer, his hands still out and open.

April frowns for a second, "I don't remember anything that happened last night. Oh God, what happened last night?!" She shrieks, her eyes wide.

"Do you want a recap?" He teases and she scowls.

"Please, I don't even know your name."

"Do you want to know my name?"

"I'd like to know what happened last night."

He shrugs, "You really don't remember anything?"

"Do I look like I do? Look, can you please just tell me whatever it is that I did so I can walk out of here in shame?"

"I would but... I'm not even sure myself."

She stares up at him blankly, watching as the smirk leaves his face and he frowns.

"I know that we're married, or something..."

She squeals and throws a hand on her face with a growl, "Oh, no! No, no, no!"

"Hey, you could've done worse." He flatters and she rolls her eyes.

"I could've done worse than marrying some dude that I met the same night. Actually, how do I even know you're telling the truth? You could have drugged me or something and forced me to wear this thing." She lifts her hand and shows off her ring, "How do I know we're actually married?"

He slips a hand into his back pocket and pulls out a piece of paper, "I think this might be proof."

"Are you kidding me?!" She stands up suddenly, pulling her towel with her to cover her naked body. "What, you just have a certificate but you don't know how it happened?!" She steps forward and smacks his chest, scolding herself when she does it again just to touch him.

What the hell happened to her overnight?

"Are you done hitting me?" He grasps her wrists gently, waving them around and taking a look down at her attire.

April fidgets under his stare and swats his arm, "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you've seen me naked." She tells him with a warning expression.

He licks his lips as he looks at her mouth, "I have."

"Did we- Uh... I didn't- Did I- I wasn't..."

"Did you orgasm?"

"No. Well, yes, but I- Did I... tell you about-"

"About you being a virgin?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

She drops her shoulders and closes her eyes as she drops her gaze to the ground, "Yeah."

"Yes, you did. But you jumped me in the hallway and I couldn't exactly say no."

"I jumped you. How do I know you're not lying?"

He shakes his head, "I was just as out of it as you were, do you really think I would have gone through with it otherwise?"

"You never know."

"Oh, thanks. You don't even know me and you're making assumptions that I'm some sleazy asshole. Jesus Christ." He mutters under his breath.

She follows after him as he leaves the bathroom, stopping in the doorway and holding her hands to the towel.

He stands in front of the bed before plopping himself down and laying back. She internally groans at the sight of his stomach tightening and his hips calling out to her.

"Well, we somehow married each other so you're obviously not that great."

Well, she had to lose it some time, she thought. And he was right, she could have done much worse. A lot worse, she adds when he lets out a husky growl.

"_Holy crap_." She mumbles, swallowing a breath when he sits up and stares across at her.

She doesn't even know the guy and he can stare into her soul with just one look.

"Hey, you proposed to me!"

She rolls her eyes, "I was drunk! You're going to pin this all on me?!"

"No, but I'm saying that this is all your fault!"

"You obviously said yes!"

"I was drunk!"

"Well, so was I!"

He shakes his head with a sigh, "Look, we just have to stop for a second and take a quick trip down memory lane, alright? What do you remember?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

April shrugs and slouches against the door frame, avoiding his eyes, "Alright, fine. I- I went to some club with my sisters."

* * *

**12 HOURS EARLIER**

"April, come on! It'll be fun." Kimmie shouts as she runs through the entrance, pulling her older sister behind her.

The redhead sighs and swallows a breath when they finally stop inside, making their way over to the bar.

She's a doctor, a surgeon even, she shouldn't be going to trashy bars. She's never been that person, and she doesn't ever plan on being.

"Kim, this really isn't my kind of thing."

Kimmie Kepner holds up a shot and passes it over to her with a grin, "We're only going to be here for a little while. We have other stuff planned."

"What stuff?" April grabs the glass and quickly swallows the cool alcohol, the sour taste burning her throat and she slightly coughs.

"Look, don't be a downer about it, but we're taking Alice to a strip club!"

The stand at the bar for a moment in silence, safe for the people around and the blaring music, until squints and breaks the quiet with a shriek, "A strip club?!"

"Would you relax? It's for girls." Kimmie brushes off, rolling her eyes with a 'tusk'.

April's eyes widen again and she shouts over the loud music, "The strippers are guys?! I didn't even know that was thing!"

"That's because you're too good, my little Applecake." Kimmie jokes, ruffling her sister's hair slightly with a grin, "Sunday School is for little girls, April. We're grown-ups now, we go to strip clubs." She states boldly.

She hands her another shot and April quickly downs the liquid before ordering herself another. She might as well enjoy the night while she's awake and partially sober, she thinks.

"Well then, why are we here? Let's get going!"

Kimmie laughs and rests a hand on her shoulder, "We're here for the early drinks. And... so Alice can grind on some random guy, apparently." She observes, pointing over to their younger sister in the middle of club. She has her hands running up some stranger's body, pushing her behind against his front as she stands straight, a smirk on her face when she spots the others.

April giggles and shakes her head, "She's engaged!" She says, a look of disbelief and astonishment on her face. The reality hasn't kicked in yet and she gulps at the thought of being the last Kepner left alone. What if she's the only one left? What if all of her sister's grow old and get married and have families and she becomes some old cat-lady?

"Yeah, and now it's your turn!"

* * *

"So, what are you fine ladies doing down here in the City of Lights?"

April bites her lip as the bride-to-be replies to the half-naked man. He's pulled his pants back up but his shirt is still lying around somewhere.

"It's my engagement party!" She drunkenly talks, swaying in her seat and relying on her friend Jessica's hand to hold her up.

The man grins, "I guess congratulations are in order! Here's to the bride!" He holds up his police officer's hat and tosses it as the girls scream and run to catch it.

The redhead remains seated, crossing her legs and leaning her body down across the table sideways. She props her arm up to hold her head and she licks her lips,

"You're really hot." She tells him, picking up her glass from the table. It's empty and she groans.

He slides her another shot of vodka with a smirk over the table, "Did you enjoy the show?"

She nods slowly, moving to stand from her seat. "Definitely." She almost trips but catches herself against his chest, her hands gripping his tough shoulders.

"Woah, be careful." He warns her, grasping her arms lightly and smiling down at her.

"Buy me a drink." She says, straightening herself out but keeping her hands in place.

"I think you've had enough." He informs her carefully and she shrugs.

"Then buy yourself one."

He grins and follows her as she walks over to the club's bar. He orders himself a beer and she smacks his chest,

"No, something stronger."

"You trying to get me drunk?"

April casts her gaze away from his handsome face and stares down at his face. Heat slowly rushes to her cheeks and she clasps her hand behind her back.

"Maybe."

He replies with a short chuckle before ordering a tray of shots. The barman smirks and quickly orders them up before sliding the plate across the counter.

April watches as the green-eyed beautiful-caramel-skinned six-pack-owner in front of her downs the drinks in record time and clears his throat from the harsh flavour.

"Happy?" He smiles.

She looks back up at his face then, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously when he licks his lips. "Maybe."

He blinks a couple of times to clear his mind before ordering them more drinks and grabbing her hand.

* * *

She throws herself down on the comfy seat, "Why do you work here?" She glances around the room, noticing the various cheesy costumes and hair gel. She wrinkles her nose, "Why?"

He chuckles and tugs his shirt over his head, the best he can with his alcohol intake. "It pays."

April frowns and leans against the back of the chair, her arm slipping and falling from the chair. She lays across the seat and lets out a loud giggle as she stares up at the ceiling.

He appears in front of her and she stops laughing, swallowing a breath at his upside down stance.

He grabs her shoulders and bends down to her level, his face hovering overturned to her own . "You're drunk." He whispers quietly, and she can smell the strong vodka pouring from his breath. But she doubts that hers is any better.

"So are you." She responds, moving her hands in the air to grab his shoulders.

And suddenly, he's kissing her backwards, with most of her body lay across the small stool. And she's never felt anything better than his mouth possessing hers.

Her hands grab the back of his neck the best she can from her place and she moans when he slips his tongue past her teeth.

"Oh." She gasps when he pulls away and smiles down at her, his hands slipping beneath her arms and sitting her upwards.

She's barely sat upright before he's kissing her again, curving his arms around her back and pulling her up. Her arms instinctively wrap around his neck, her left leg rising at his side as her bottom meets the table in the middle of the room.

Holy crap.

His hands ride up her back, cupping her shoulders gently as she slips her hand beneath his shirt, aching to feel his bare torso again.

"You're hot."

"You've already said that." He laughs and rests his forehead against hers, letting his fingers mess with the strap of her top.

"Yeah, but like- Really hot, _too hot_. Why do you work here?" She quips, raising a brow with sucking on her lower lip.

He stares down at her mouth lazily for a moment before replying, "I already told you."

"You shouldn't work here."

He pouts with a childish grin, "Are you saying I'm not hot enough?"

She giggles and rolls her eyes, "Too hot." She licks her lips and cups the sides of his face, her eyes flickering between his mouth and his eyes. Oh, Jesus, his eyes. She blushes and nervously hiccups. "What's your name?"

"Which name?"

"The one you use."

"Real or... stage?" He asks, cringing to himself at the second mention.

She shrugs, "Real."

"Jackson."

"That's adorable." She pinches his cheeks and grins.

He shakes his head and growls, "Well, my mother certainly thought so."

April wraps her legs around his waist then, and drags him closer by the collar of his plain white t-shirt. "What's your... stripper name?"

He smirks and runs his hands up her thighs, slightly revealing the creamy skin beneath her short dress. "Peppermint."

She giggles at the name, and he can't help but join her, resting his head against her shoulder as he laughs.

"Why are you called Peppermint?"

"It's the eyes." He reasons with a cheap shrug. His eyes are slightly wobbly from the alcohol consumption and she falters against him.

"And here I was, thinking it was the breath." She teases him, her hands resting on his chest again.

Jackson smiles a toothy grin, "My breath smells of vodka."

"So does mine." She reminds him, taking the back of his neck between her hands and pulling him down to her again.

"Umm... fresh."

She kisses him hungrily, all teeth and tongue as he slides his hands up her dress and rests them on her hips. "I can't do that yet."

"Can't do what?"

She glances down at their bodies with a smirk, "That. I promised Daddy."

He gulps and can't take his eyes away from her barely-there-yet-visible underwear, "Are you a virgin?"

"Yes." She breathes innocently with a flutter of her eyelashes, "But I want to have sex with you."

Jackson shakes his head and sheepishly smiles, "But you promised your family. Maybe they want you to be married first."

"You think my sister waited?" She attempts, sliding her hands from his chest to his pants. "But, then again, my Daddy would be really mad if I did it."

"I think I need more alcohol." Jackson mutters and she frowns.

"Marry me."

His eyes widen and he chuckles to himself, "Marry you?"

"Marry me. Come on, it's not as if we're a real couple or anything. It's not legal. It's Vegas."

"Yes." He responds then, a proud smile on his face.

She lightens up, "Yes?"

"Yes!" He declares and grabs her hand to pull her off of the table, "Let's go get married!"

* * *

**PRESENT TIME**

She's sat beside him now, the soft white towel held tight against her body. There's a clear frown on her face and she stares straight ahead.

"We're married." She states quietly and he nods beside her slowly.

Jackson licks his lips and blinks a couple of times, "Yep."

"I don't know you."

"I don't know you, either."

She nods this time, heaving a deep sigh, "I'm not a virgin."

"Nope."

"You're my husband."

"You're my wife."

She pouts, "You're sure it was legal?"

He stares forward, his eyes never leaving the door frame to the bathroom.

"Definitely."

"Your name's Peppermint."

"My name is Jackson."

"I'm going to call you Peppermint."

"Please don't."

"Whatever, Peppermint."


	2. Chapter 2

**So overwhelmed with the response for the first chapter, so thank you guys so much! It really means a lot to hear people's opinions about the story. Hope you enjoy the second chapter!**

* * *

"Are you kidding me?!"

Jackson rolls his eyes at her shrill voice beside him, her hands flying forward to grasp the older man's suit.

He steps forward and wraps an arm around her waist to pull her backwards.

She continues to lunge forward, panting heavy breaths as the priest grins.

"Aren't you a picture-perfect couple..."

April stares at him with a murderous glare, her eyes sharp daggers and her breathing harsh.

"Screw you! Divorce us now!"

"Sorry, Sweet-cheeks, no can do." He shakes his head and crosses his arms as he moves to stand behind his pulpit. He flicks through his book with a smirk. "I only bring couples together in harmony. I don't believe in all that divorce hoo-ha." He waves a hand about as he continues to stare down at his book.

Jackson groans, "Look, dude, we've been to twelve chapels before we actually found the right one. And you're going to tell us that you can't annul this thing?" He shakes a hand between him and April, obviously pointing out their 'marriage'.

The man shrugs, "No can do, Pretty Boy. You got yourself into this, you get yourself out of it. Find a fancy lawyer or some shit, I don't know what you rich folk do."

April squints her eyes, "I live in Seattle, you moron, and I don't plan on bringing him home with me!"

"Not my problemo, Sweet-cheeks." He shrugs again with a smile before walking away, throwing a denim jacket over his shoulders.

"You're not even a real priest!"

"We're in Vegas, Sweetheart, no one's a real priest."

He walks away then, leaving the happy couple to stand in an angry silence.

"Where do you live anyway?" She asks him after a moment, folding her arms over her chest with a sigh.

"Here."

"Vegas? Classy."

Jackson raises a brow, "Well, I'm sorry if I'm not some hot-shot surgeon." He shakes his head and closes his eyes for a second before rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm going back to the hotel."

"To my hotel room?"

"I live miles away and I want a shower. Yes, I'm going back to _our_ hotel room."

"It's _my_ hotel room."

He smirks at her as he starts to back away, out of the small chapel, "Well, I'm your husband now, so it's _ours_." He stretches his arms as he leaves the blessed building, sliding them into his jeans' pockets with the grin still on his face.

* * *

"I've been trying to reach you all day! Where've you been?"

Libby Kepner laughs on the other end of the line, "We're at some diner having lunch. We didn't think you'd want to come though because you're with that fine ass man candy."

April sighs, "What diner are you at?"

The eldest Kepner sister hums for a second before shaking her head on her end of the line, "I don't know. Listen, we'll just see you at the airport tomorrow, alright?"

"Do you happen to know what I did last night?"

"Apart from the stripper?" Libby teases and April rolls her eyes.

"No, like- I- Did I get married?"

There's a short silence on the other end as she waits for a reply.

"I might have attended your nuptials, yes."

"You were there?!"

Libby sighs, "Applecake, would you chill out? It was just a stupid drunken mistake, right? You can get it fixed easily, I mean this is Vegas for Christ's sake."

"Actually, no, I can't. Apparently, I am now officially married to the stripper. I can't believe you let me do this."

"It's not my fault that you were too drunk to think straight. This isn't my doing, April, this is all you. And him, I guess."

April stays still, weaving a hand through her crinkled hair with anxiety. How the hell is she supposed to get out of this? Better yet, how the hell could her sisters let her do it? Libby was supposed to be the wise one in their family, and April the quiet one. So how the hell did one of them get married and the other bare witness to the crime?

"How was it?"

April frowns then, confused by the question. What? The food? The hotel?

"What do you think? The sex."

The redhead pauses, heat rising to her cheeks suddenly and her mouth dry, "I- uh, I- I don't really remember."

"Have you seen the guy? How could you not remember?!" Libby shrieks.

April shrugs, "I don't know, I just- I've just completely blanked on everything that happened last night."

"Maybe you should just do it again, for remembrance sake..." Libby suggests, her mouth pouting and her eyebrows raised.

April takes a peek at the open bathroom door, hearing the sound of water running through the crease in the doorway. She thanks her stars that he's in the shower so he can't overhear their conversation.

"You're insane."

"You're horny."

"I am not."

Libby giggles, "Oh, you are. Otherwise, you wouldn't have taken so long to answer me. You're thinking about it right now, aren't you?"

April fidgets, her eyes staring at the bathroom door as though her gaze could burn holes through it. She's somehow allowed herself to imagine him behind it, to imagine his body behind the transparent shower door. His body naked and soaked with hot water.

Holy crap.

"No, I'm not. I'm hanging up now."

She catches her sister's laugh on the other end as she hangs up the phone, holding it tight within her grasp as she continues to ponder her move.

Maybe she should go in there and- What? Jump him? Join him? Climb him like a tree? Mount that shit? Get right on that?

No, she couldn't possibly.

But the thought of his rough and muscled build beneath her touch makes her shiver.

Holy crap.

When the hell did she turn into some sex-crazed maniac? Especially when she can't even remember her first time with him.

She throws her cell phone down onto the bed and shrugs her shoulders carelessly as she takes a step towards the door. Suddenly, the water stops and she freezes in her tracks, turning back around to avoid facing him when he exits the bathroom.

What the hell was she doing?

"Shower's free."

Jackson speaks as he leaves the steamy bathroom, clothed with only a towel around his waist as she makes the error of turning around.

Holy crap.

"Could you put some clothes on, please?"

He smirks, holding up his abandoned t-shirt, "I am too distracting for you?" He teases and he licks his lips.

April tries to avoid looking at his lips but fails greatly when he does it again, the grin still clear on his face.

He's fully aware of what he's doing to her, of the effect he's having on her, but he's not sure why he continues to torment her when he lifts his arms as if to stretch. His biceps and stomach muscles flex and he closely smirks at the look on her face.

"Problem?"

"I, uh- Nope."

He's fairly certain that the sex last night had been amazing, that she had been amazing, so he's pretty sure that's the reason behind his teasing.

It must be because he wants more, more from her, more for himself.

He smiles his winning grin, his green eyes bright and flashy as he steps closer to her.

"Are you going to keep staring at me like that for long?" He jokes.

April swallows a breath and bites her bottom lip, staying in place as he comes toward her, "I'm not staring at you."

"Yeah, you are. But you've seen it all before, so I don't know what you're so fascinated about." He tells her, stopping just in front of her.

"I don't- We just- I, uh, I don't remember that."

"You don't remember what?" He's so close that she can feel his breath against her mouth, that she can taste his lips for inches away.

She barely knows him at all.

She knows his first name, his work name, the state where he lives, his eye colour, his body shape. But aside from those facts, she knows absolutely nothing about the guy.

But that doesn't stop her from wanting him to touch her.

Again, apparently.

"Seeing it all." Her teeth bite into her lip dangerously as she glances down at the towel around his waist.

Holy crap.

"You don't remember us having sex?" He raises a brow with a hint of smile.

"No."

"You don't remember me taking your virginity?"

She pauses at that question, lifting her shoulders up and down slowly at the thought of her lost virtue. "No."

"You don't remember this?" He grasps her hand then, placing it over the swell beneath the towel, holding it over his groin.

April licks her lips and shrugs, "No."

She's somehow managed to completely forget about their predicament and instead focus on this man's hands and eyes. She's somehow managed to forget about their predicament and instead only plead for him to tend to her needs.

And she has needs, lots of them, so she figures that her new husband may as well be of some use.

_Her new husband._ The words seem so foreign, but she kind of pats herself on the back for at least marrying someone that looked like him. The guy was flawless. His face and body clear of any imperfection, his eyes bright and captivating, his mouth enchanting and his voice deep enough to send her over the edge. And he's somehow pulling her in with his charm and seductive attitude.

"What about this?" He leans down slightly, resting his lips against her shoulder, tugging the strap of her top down with his teeth.

She's powerless against him, taken under the spell of his sexiness and good looks.

April closes her eyes and leans into him, letting her head fall back slightly when he licks his way up her neck, stopping at the flesh just below her ear.

"Turn around."

"What?" She squeaks, eyes wide open and mouth agape.

He smirks against her skin, resting his hands down on her backside. "Turn. Around." He whispers slowly, his voice softly muffled by his closeness to her skin.

She obliges, spinning around with her back to him and her hands pressed against the side of the dresser. "What are you-" She stops herself from talking when she feels his fingers unzip her jeans and pop open the button before slipping them down her legs.

"Holy crap."

He smirks at her words, tugging her hair into his grasp and placing butterfly kisses along the back of her neck.

Her eyes are still closed and she shivers when he tugs down her underwear, sliding a hand over her heated core briefly before taking her hips within his hold.

Jackson leans down at her ear level again and she moans softly when she feels him against her, "This might hurt."

* * *

"Shower's free."

Jackson speaks as he leaves the steamy bathroom, clothed with only a towel around his waist.

She blinks then, shaking her head rapidly of any dirty thoughts and bringing herself back down to reality.

What the hell was she thinking?

"Okay." She quickly mutters, grabbing her belongings from her suitcase and heading into the now heated bathroom.

She closes and locks the door behind her before leaning against it with a deep sigh.

What the hell was she thinking?

As badly as she wants a divorce so she can start to get her life back on track, she wants nothing more than to kiss him. And touch him. And kiss him.

And yes, sure, they're married, technically, so she can do all of that without being some weirdo.

And yes, sure, he's her husband, so she can technically kiss him whenever she feels like it.

And yes, okay maybe, she's thinking way too much of it all.

Maybe he's not trying to entice her like she thought. Maybe that's just the way he is, being a stripper and all. Maybe he doesn't want her in that way again, and one time was enough. Maybe he wants a divorce as badly as she does.

But he sure isn't acting like it. He's acting like this is a joke, like he enjoys being married to her because it's funny, because it's torturing her.

Like he doesn't actually mind being her husband.

But she's pretty sure that she does.

She runs the water then and discards her clothes, tossing them onto the damp floor carelessly as she steps into the shower.

Holy crap.

It smells like him.

* * *

"Hey, you have to come and see this!"

She rolls her eyes as his voice travels through the door, and she throws her hairbrush on the side in a strop.

Angry Housewife it is.

She opens the door and frowns at his position on the bed. "Get off of my bed."

"It's _our_ bed, and no." He glances back at her and shakes his head, "Come here."

She unwillingly steps towards him, resting her hands on her hips as he stares at the television. "What now?"

"I think this is what happened last night." He points to the screen and her eyes widen at the sight.

Holy crap.

"Is that- We-"

He licks his lips and nods, looking over at her uncertainly. "Yeah, we made a sex tape."

"Where the hell did you find this?"

"It was in the mini-refridgerator with the camera." He explains, holding the remote out in his hand, "You can turn it off if you want."

April grabs the controller, her eyes glued to the tv screen, "Oh my God, we're actually doing it." She whines, sitting herself down on the bed beside him, her shoulders dropped and her mouth wide.

"It's not too bad." He tries, turning his head to the side to get a better angle.

She smacks his chest and hisses, "It's a tape of us having sex! How is this not bad?!"

Jackson raises his hands innocently, glancing down at her, "Look, we're the only two who've seen it, alright? It's not like it's on the internet or anything. Besides, we look good."

She hits him again, "Seriously? Your main concern is what it looks like?"

"Hey, at least you know that your first time wasn't in an alley or something." He points out with a brow hitched.

She takes a deep breath and continues to watch her former self on the screen. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she'd apparently been pushed against a door, had her body bent over backwards, rode him like a cowgirl and stripped for him.

Holy crap.

"It's kinda hot."

"You're so gross." He expects her to punch his chest again, but finds himself surprised when her hand instead rests on his shoulder. April tilts her head and squints her eyes, "I did not know I could do that." She mutters as she watches herself.

"Yeah, you almost knocked me out." He teases and she grins.

April holds a finger out toward the screen, "Is it normal that my leg can go that far back?" She's turning her head to the side again to get a clearer shot.

Never in a million years had she imagined that she'd be watching her own porno.

"I was actually pretty surprised myself, especially when- Yeah, that." He talks about the tape, indicating to the part where they're on the floor. "I never would have taken you for a shouter."

She grimaces at the sound of herself screaming his name and panting to God with her legs straddling his roughly.

"What the hell were we drinking?"

"I have no idea." He shrugs, "We should definitely get some more though."

She hits him again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three is up! There is a short time jump in this chapter because they're already in Seattle, but nothing has happened since then and everything is explained. For the readers who are wondering when they're gonna get it on... they _kind of/almost_ do in this one. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"You brought him home with you?!" Kimmie squeaks down the phone.

April sighs and closes her eyes sharply, "Yes, what other choice did I have?"

The younger sister pauses, "Leave him there?"

"Believe me, I thought of that. But if we want to get this thing sorted out, then I need him with me, and I can't exactly hang around in Nevada, Kimmie. I have a job."

Kimmie shrugs on the other end, rolling her eyes, "Whatever, you just want him there for the sex."

"See now, that would be a good explanation if I actually remembered the sex..." April reasons, "I can't miss something I don't remember having. besides, I don't know the guy and I don't plan on getting to know him. I want a quick divorce and then, bam, goodbye!"

She throws her shoulders back as she sits down on the kitchen stool,

"Hey, are you going back to mom and dad's today?"

"Yeah, I'm heading down there with Luke for a couple of days, why?"

The redhead frowns, "Can you, like, not tell them? Please? I think Daddy would have a heart-attack if he found out that I married some random."

Kimmie laughs, "Much less slept with some random."

"Kimmie-"

"I got it, don't worry. I won't say anything." She shakes her head, unseen to April, and licks her lips, "Say 'hi' to your husband for me!"

April goes to reply but the line cuts off and she growls, throwing her phone down across the kitchen counter.

She rests her elbows against the counter and lets her head drop into her hands.

What the hell was she thinking?

She'd brought him back to her home, back to Seattle with her. She barely knew the guy yet she willingly let him into her apartment and offered him her couch. It felt like she was welcoming a stray, not greeting her 'husband'.

Of course, it had taken a lot of convincing to actually get him here. He was resistant to leave his own place and move away from his job and friends for a while, until their got their 'situation' under control, but after a little bargaining and blackmailing, she'd managed to get him on the plane.

She didn't want to be away from him, because she wasn't sure how they would ever get divorced or annulled or whatever if they weren't in the same state. And if she couldn't even find him. And she couldn't be sure that he'd actually sign the papers.

He would though, right? He had to. No grown man would accept to be married to some strange woman that he barely knew if he wasn't getting anything out of it. And he wasn't, she argued. He was not going to get anything out of this marriage.

She wasn't going to give him money, he has his own. She wasn't going to have sex with him, he has a hand. She wasn't going to give him anything, she told herself. She wasn't going to play nice and share with some guy that she banged and married within one night.

No way in hell.

She lifts her head and groans, rubbing her hands over her face. Quickly glancing at her watch, it's 6 am, she lets out a sigh and stands up. She makes her way into the living room, and stopping in front of the sofa as she stares down at the shirtless man laying unconscious across her cushions.

What the hell was she thinking?

He has an arm thrown over his bare chest, the other hanging off the edge of her couch. His right leg is hanging off the side as well, the left one bent up at his side and she swallows a harsh breath when she finds herself admiring his body. Holy crap.

"Enjoying the view?"

She jumps at the sound of his voice, glancing down at his face to see him peeking up at her through his lashes.

She grabs a pillow from the couch and throws it at his face, "Shut up. I, uh- I have to go to work, so you need to get up."

"Babe, if you're the one working then why do I have to get up?" He asks, slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes from the sleep.

April crosses her arms over her chest, "Don't call me Babe, and you have to come with me to work because I'm not leaving you here all day."

"Why, you gonna miss me?" Jackson stands up, stretching his arms tiredly and staring down at her close body with a grin.

She can practically feel the warm heat pouring from him as he stands so close to her, that dangerous smirk resting on his glorious face.

"No, I just don't want you running off back to Vegas while I'm gone."

"Oh, you're scared I'm gonna leave you? Don't worry, Babe, that ain't happening any time soon." He teases, resting a hand on her shoulder as he walks past her toward the bathroom.

She watches after him, an amazed look on her face, "Don't call me Babe!" She shakes her head and close her eyes with a sigh, "Asshole."

* * *

"Can you please stop doing that?" She smacks his hand and scolds him, sending him a sharp glare.

Jackson rolls his eyes and lets the utensils drops with a clatter. He licks his lips and looks around the room as he folds his arms over his chest and leans back in the chair, "So, you going to introduce me as your husband?"

April grins and holds out a scalpel towards him, "Nope. I'm going to introduce you as my mistake."

He laughs, "Oh, call the plastic surgeon, that burnt." He jokes, flicking through the pages of a book on the table. "How is this fun?"

She sighs, "It's not meant to be fun, it's meant to be challenging."

"At least my job was fun."

"You took your clothes off for a living, it's not exactly hard." She informs him and grabs another banana from the side.

"It can be." He toys, raising an eyebrow suggestively and watching as she holds back a laugh.

She slices open the banana and brings down the sharp blade, cutting along the edge of the fruit into a straight line.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"I am... practicing something." She replies, pushing the fruit to the side after she fails.

Jackson grabs the abandoned banana from the side and takes a bite, "Interesting." He speaks with his mouth full and she shakes her head with a faint smile.

The door to the lab opens and April mutters something under her breath when she fails another cut and tosses the fruit into the trash.

"Doctor Kepner, are you almost do- Who is this?" Owen Hunt asks her, a curious look on his face as he eyes the tall man suspiciously.

She pauses and bites her lip as Jackson answers her boss' question, shaking the man's hand politely. "Jackson Avery, sir. Her husband."

What the hell?! What part of 'mistake' not 'husband' was he not understanding?

"Husband? I wasn't aware you were even involved..."

April goes to speak then, finding herself cut off by her new groom, "It's fairly recent. I just saw her and poof! There we were, walking down the aisle." Jackson says, an all-too-happy smile on his face as he imagines their supposed engagement.

She stills beside him, faking a smile as he wraps an arm around her shoulders lovingly.

"Yep. Just had to have him." She adds, resting the palm of her hand on his chest and smacking him a few times, her hard blows hidden by the amused grin on her face.

Owen smiles and nods, "Well, congratulations." He goes to leave the room before turning on his heel and reminding himself of why he had entered in the first place, "Oh, don't forget about the game tomorrow."

She responds with a simple 'yes' and turns towards Jackson when the older doctor leaves them alone. "What the hell are you doing?" She hits him again, slamming her fists against his chest.

"Hey, this is domestic abuse, stop hitting me!" He grasps her wrists and pulls her away from his body, glaring down at her with a frown.

"Why did you tell him we were married?"

"Because we are."

"Not in the normal way!"

"Yeah, well, you dragged me all the way up here from my home, okay? So, if I don't get to be myself and live how I want, then guess what? We're gonna be married and you're going to be my wife, and I'm gonna be your husband, and I'm going to introduce myself as such until we get this whole thing sorted out, alright? So, _Babe_, I will see you later."

Jackson picks up his banana from the counter and makes his way out of the skills lab, letting the door swing behind him as he leaves, and ignoring the shocked look on April's face as he goes.

* * *

It's barely even two o'clock in the afternoon and she's already worn out. She wants to blame it on jet lag or the zone change, but she knows that it's the man who's made a home for himself on her couch that keeps her up at night.

"Kepner, over here!" She turns to the sound of Meredith Grey's voice across the cafeteria, and thanks her stars that her _husband_ hasn't made himself cosy with more of her friends and colleagues.

Sliding her tray across the table, she sits herself down on one of the chairs and twists open the lid of her bottle of water.

Cristina Yang speaks from the other side of the table, and the redhead glances up, "Who's hanging out with Evil Spawn?"

The three women directly look at the table on the other side of the room, watching as their fellow resident interacts with some guy.

"Oh no."

Yang turns toward April with a confused frown, "What?"

April shrugs, "I-uh... nothing."

Meredith taps her arm gently to usher her on, "Who is he?"

"Nobody." She attempts, standing from the bench and leaving her tray as she walks towards the other table.

Alex Karev, otherwise known as Evil Spawn, is engaged in a deep conversation with her spouse, who's somehow having a positive effect on the pediatric surgeon. She never sees Karev smile, much less let out a chuckle.

"Kepner, have you met my man Avery?" Alex asks her as he stuffs a fry into his mouth with a smirk.

She grabs Jackson's arm and pulls him up, "Yeah, I've met your man. He's also _my_ man." She informs him and glares at Jackson, who stands beside her with a grin and his arms folded, "Let's go." She tugs on his hand and he trails behind her.

They walk down the hallway until they reach an office at the end of the corridor. She pulls open the door and pushes him inside before slamming the door shut behind them.

"Can you please stop invading my privacy?"

He groans, "How the hell am I invading your privacy? I've been walking around this place for the last couple of hours, trying to stay away from you so you don't start a fight."

April bites her bottom lip and scratches the back of her neck, "Just try not to talk to any more people, okay?"

"You want me to keep quiet and not say anything?"

"Exactly."

"You don't want me telling people about your little lapse in judgment, because that wouldn't be too good for you? That wouldn't be good for your reputation as a respected surgeon, right? People knowing that you made one tiny little mistake and got hitched to some random dude from Vegas who takes his clothes off for a living to please people like you isn't good for your rep?" He's somehow standing so much closer to her now than he was before and she takes a step back to create some distance between them, to move away from him before she does something stupid.

"It's- That's not what I-"

He blinks a couple of times with a smile and walks forward, cornering her against a filing cabinet in the office. "No, that's exactly what you meant."

April curses under her breath when she feels her back hit the metal surface, her hand slipping out of her coat pockets.

"I'm just not understanding is why you're so bitter all the goddamn time."

Her forehead creases into a frown, "I'm not bitter."

"Yeah, you are." He nods, stepping closer to her and resting his hands on either side of her head against the cabinet. "Maybe you're just like that because you're used to people doing what you want, so tell me, what do you want?"

She braces herself against him, avoiding any contact with his magnetic green eyes. Why the hell does he have to be so goddamn attractive? "What?" She hoarsely whispers, her voice almost mute.

He smirks and rests a hand on her shoulder, tracing his fingers over the lapel of her lab coat. He stares down at the white fabric before glancing back up at her flushed face through his eyelashes, "What do you want?"

April licks her lips and loosens her shoulders, letting her arms drop by her sides carelessly when he grasps the neck of her coat and starts to tug it down her arms. "I don't know." She lets slip the material from her arms and catches it with her eyes as it falls onto the ground.

"You don't know?" He quips, running a hand through her red curls softly and placing the other on the low of her back. She leans into him and finds herself involuntarily staring at his mouth as he talks, imagining his lips touching her in places they definitely shouldn't.

Holy crap.

"How about this?" He slips his hand down the back of her scrub pants, cupping her behind in his hand over the material of her underwear. She closes her eyes and he continues, moving his hand up her back again before resting on the cold skin of her stomach. His fingers brush against the strings of her scrub pants and he watches as she chews on her bottom lip delightfully. "Or this?" He doesn't move his hand away from her body, but instead rests his forehead against hers and grabs the back of her neck in his hold with his other hand.

She freezes when she feels him tug her bottom lip from between her teeth with his own and bite down on the soft skin, gently suckling as he breathes heavily against her.

She sobs into his mouth, her hands clasping onto the soft material of his t-shirt and pulling him closer to her, smashing his body against hers roughly. Without even kissing her, he has some sort of unbelievable power over her, like he get her to do anything, and she's oblige.

His teeth clamped down on her lower lip, she feels her legs lift up at his sides as he braces his hands on the backs of her thighs.

She gladly wraps her legs around his waist and allows him to settle her down on a nearby desk. He spreads her thighs and steps between her legs, tugging her scrub top over her head hastily and dropping his head to her neck, placing sloppy kisses along her collarbone.

April whines, her hands rushing over his shaved head before slipping them down the back of his t-shirt. He pulls away momentarily to remove his shirt and glances back up to see the dazed look on her face.

She grins wildly and clutches his shoulders, bringing him back down to her. He traces his mouth from her neck to the swell of her breasts, his tongue licking the soft skin as he glimpses up at her. She drops her head to his shoulder and bites down on the tough skin, quickly kicking her pink shoes off and tightening her legs around his torso.

Jackson smirks against her smooth skin when she gripes against his body, slipping a hand down to the top of his jeans and throwing her head back when he pulls down the straps of her lacy red bra.

She's not sure what's happening to her, or what he's doing to her self-control, but she can't find the energy to complain. But if it feels this good, then it surely can't be bad.

He pauses for a moment, his breath foggy against the gap between her breasts as she unzips his pants and pops open the button. The jeans rest around his hips as he traces his hands up her sides, cupping the sides of her neck between his hands.

Jackson resumes his place against her almost naked chest and kisses his way down her stomach until he reaches the edge of her scrubs, untying the strings with his teeth and noticing her watching eyes.

Holy crap.

Her mind goes blank and she finds herself unable to think straight for a minute as she gazes down at him. She wonders how it's possible for one man to have so much appeal and be so freaking irresistible with just one heated look.

She remembers how wrong it is to be getting hot and heavy with some guy that she barely knows, but the rule vanishes when she reminds herself that they're _married_ so it doesn't go against anything she ever promised. And he looks like that, and he's touching her so perfectly, and she feels so completely out of it that she really doesn't care about anything other than his hands and his mouth on her skin.

He lets the ties of her pants fall from his mouth and presses open-mouthed kisses along the waistline of the material, his tongue stroking against her creamy skin lazily.

April can't help but moan, her mouth forming an 'o' shape as she lets out a loud gasp at the feeling of his mouth working skillfully against her skin.

"Kepn- Oh!"

The redhead perks up at the sound of her coworker's voice and she quickly covers her chest, shooting daggers at the woman in the doorway. She feels her cheeks turn bright red and she bites her bottom lip as Jackson stands up straight, plastering a smile on his face and holding his hand out.

Meredith tentatively takes his hand with a shake and she grins, "Hi."

"Jackson." He informs her and she nods then, her gaze quickly flickering to the flustered woman sat on the desk.

She glances back up at him with a smile, "Meredith."

He lets go of her hand and picks his shirt up off of the floor before slipping it over his head. He grabs April's discarded scrub top and hands it to her with a smirk, "I will see you at home."

April nods slowly, avoiding his gaze as she takes the shirt from his hold. "Yep." She scratches the back of her neck anxiously as he leaves the room and she awaits her friend's questions.

A second passes and April slips her top over her head before Meredith finally speaks, "Do I even want to ask?"

She giggles and licks her lips as she retrieves her abandoned coat from the floor, "Nope."


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, this chapter is kind of all over the place but hopefully it makes some sense. I just really wanted to update but I was in a hurry and yada yada yada... Anyway, enjoy and review! :)**

* * *

"So, are we gonna talk about that or what?"

She turns to stare at the woman behind her as she talks, amusement written all over her face.

April sighs and licks her lips with a dry shrug, "It was nothing."

Meredith chuckles and continues to walk alongside her, "Oh, please, Kepner. I've had my fair share of on-call room hook-ups with Derek, but I've never been caught with some guy untying my pants with his mouth!"

The redhead swats her arm quickly and blushes as she ducks her head and brushes her hair behind her ear, "Could you say that any louder?" She shakes her head with a smile and folds her arms over her chest as they come to a stop in front of the OR.

"Then just tell me who he is."

"No, it's- complicated."

Meredith rolls her eyes and fishes her scrub cap from her pocket, "It's not complicated, April. You just don't have the balls to admit that you liked it."

"It is. It's personal, very personal, in fact. And- It- It's none of your business, so just stop asking me about it." She attempts and frowns as she pulls her lab coat closer and starts to walk away.

"Fine. Have fun with your boyfriend, Kepner!" Meredith calls before heading through the doors to scrub in with a laugh.

April stares after her and sighs a deep breath.

She heads down into the ER after a moment, taking her time to go down the staircase and slowly gliding over to the nurse's desk.

"Anything new come in yet?"

The nurse sat in front of the computer shakes her head, "A patient came in with glass in her femur but Doctor Hunt and Doctor Torres took that one, so... Oh, he left this for you." She picks up a yellow post-it note from the computer screen and hands it to April.

"Go home for the night, a little sleep will do you some good. Is he serious?" She reads the note with a confused look.

The nurse shrugs and pouts her lips.

April growls and flicks her hair from her face as she stomps back up the stairs.

So much for coming back to a work and burying herself with cases and surgeries. How the hell was she supposed to distract herself away from the man cooped up in her home if she couldn't even work properly?

Maybe she wasn't supposed to.

* * *

She throws her keys down on the table beside her front door and frowns as she slips her jacket off. She glances around the apartment, searching for her husband.

What if he went back to Vegas, if he went home?

She tells herself that she's acting stupid for potentially missing his company.

"Peppermint?" She asks curiously, a grin on her face as she walks into the living room. Maybe he is around, maybe he's just busy prying through her belongings.

Her mouth falls open and she pauses in her step when she walks into her kitchen.

She definitely hadn't expected him to be sat at her counter, stuffing his face with a bowl of cereal.

Wearing nothing but a pair of his tight, _tight_ black boxers.

"What are you doing?" She questions, further entering the room and stopping on the other side of the island in the middle of the room.

Jackson glances up at her with a smirk as he swallows a spoonful of food, "I'm eating Frosties."

She rolls her eyes, "I can see that. I'm just wondering _why_?"

"Because they're great." He throws a hand up happily and grins as she holds back a smile, "Yeah, no. You, uh- you had nothing in your fridge." He shrugs and sticks another load into his mouth.

She can't help but briefly stare down at his lips for a moment, her eyes watching intently as he devours the food and licks his lips.

Holy crap.

She takes a deep breath and pulls the bowl over the counter, peeling the spoon from his grasp before shoving it into the Frosties and into her own mouth.

Jackson smiles and crosses his arms over his chest. "Oh, so you're eating other people's food now?"

"Technically, it's my food." April winks.

"Okay, fair point." He shakes his head with a soft chuckle before standing up and stretching his arms.

She licks the spoon, dangling the metal from her lips as she watches him. How the heck is it possible for one man to be so goddamn attractive? Especially a man that she barely knows? A man she's now married to?

"Can you not do that, please?" She finds herself asking of him, her eyes casting down to the counter-top.

He raises a brow and rests his hands on his perfect hips. "Do what?"

April looks up and blushes, "That." She nods her head towards him.

He smirks, "I'm not doing anything?"

"Just... stop." She shivers and stands up, turning her back to face the sink. She plugs the sink and runs the water before slipping the bowl and spoon into the hot water. She watches as the water fills the soapy sink, her hands tightly gripping the edges when she feels him behind her.

She glances at the floor behind her slightly, swallowing a nervous breath when he gently touches her waist, his fingers digging into the skin beneath her top.

"You're doing it again."

He slips his hand further up her top, and she shifts comfortably when he finds her left breast. "I'm not doing anything." He speaks quietly, leaning his head down to her shoulder.

April groans when he moves his hands away from her body and rests them beside hers on the side of the sink. He tilts her forward slightly, pushing her body against the hard surface. She gasps and grips the ledge tight beneath her fingers.

"What are you doing?" She squeaks, her voice sharp and her knuckles turning white.

He remains still against her back, his tone raspy and enchanting to her, "You already know what I'm doing... apparently." He adds at the end.

She licks her lips before biting down on the bottom one, her eyes flickering over her shoulder to meet his green ones.

"Seriously, I have a headache. I'm not really in the mood to play this game again." She whispers and raises her brows.

"Do you know what the best cure for a headache is?" He asks her quietly, pressing his lips against her neck and dragging his teeth across her skin slowly. "An orgasm." April closes her eyes at his words, allowing her body to subconsciously melt back into his, "It's like ecstasy. Complete delight, unbearable satisfaction. All-consuming. Can you tell me you don't want that?"

She pauses and takes in his words, letting herself fall against him as he pulls her hair to the side and peppers kisses along the light skin of her neck.

"Nope." She sighs and opens her eyes then, lifting her shoulders. She quickly turns off the sink before it overflows and spins around to face him with a small smile.

He frowns and folds his arms, "What?"

She's not going to give into him that easily. She barely knows the guy. And yes, sure, she's already gone there and had the sex that she's sure is amazing. And yes, sure, she's technically married to the guy, so she can't refuse him forever. But she barely knows him, and though he seems like a pretty decent guy (aside from the whole stripper thing, of course), she isn't going to give herself up to him, _again_. Not unless he works for it.

"No." She speaks confidently and moves away from him, "No, I'm not going to sleep with you. No, I'm not going to let you do whatever you want to me. No, you can't just try and seduce me like that and expect me to cave. And why should I cave? Because you have amazing eyes and a perfect everything and your face looks like it was made my angels?" Her face softly flushes as she talks, but she continues anyway, ignoring the smirk on his face as he goes to approach her. "Stop walking towards me. I'm not that girl, alright? I'm sure it's great, really, I bet it is. And if you can remember it, then I'm happy for you. But, I don't, and maybe I which that I do. But, right now, you should know that you aren't going to be getting anywhere near these legs or these boobs or even this face without letting me know you first."

"You want to know me?" He asks, his face full of confusion.

April nods eagerly. "Yep. Go one, tell me everything there is to know about Jackson."

Jackson laughs and leans his elbows on the opposite side of her against the counter. "Well, let's see. You already know my name, my other name, my address, my job. You seem to be pretty acquainted with my penis as well, if I remember correctly."

"I'm being serious." She glares and taps her fingers against the island.

He smiles over at her and licks his lips, "So am I."

April rolls her eyes before raising a brow, "Okay... Where did you grow up?"

"Boston."

"Brothers and sisters?"

"Only child." He shrugs.

She nods and ponders her next question, "Alright. Do your parents know what you do for a living?"

"What are you, my mom?"

"No, but I would be concerned if I was!"

Jackson groans and sighs a breath, "Well, she doesn't know. And I don't see why she should. It'll only make things worse."

"Do you guys not get along?"

He stands up straight and eyes her, "None of your business. Okay, then, Doctor, how about you tell me something about _yourself_?"

She stiffens and blinks a couple of times as her gaze shifts to the counter, "I, uh- There's really not much to know." She starts, "I grew up in Ohio. I have three sisters, you've already met them. One of them stuck a dollar bill down your underwear."

"Ah, good times. Parents?"

"My mom's a teacher, and my dad's a farmer."

Jackson smirk and she notices the glint in his eye, "You're a farmer's daughter? I'll try not to let that give me very good dreams." She reaches over the table and smacks him across the chest, a small smile on her face at his amused reaction. "I'm serious!"

"Yeah, well, it's not funny." She says, "I got a lot of crap for that in high school."

"High school was like ten years ago. Besides, we're all idiots when we're teenagers."

April nods with a grin, "Well, you're like thirty and you're still an idiot, so-"

He rushes over to her side of the counter then, and pulls her up as he begins to tickle her sides. She giggles and fights lazily against him, her hands flying about, "Take it back." He warns her and she shakes her head.

"Never!"

She removes herself from his grasp and runs away, stopping in the hallway in front of her bedroom door. Her laughter dies down and she hiccups as he walks over to her, an entertained look playing on his lips.

Jackson stops before her, staring down at her smaller body with his bright eyes, "You should get some sleep. You know, if you have a headache."

She doesn't reply, instead just nods her head once and slips a hand behind her to open the door. "Yeah." She breathes, "Maybe I should."

They stand in a quiet silence for a few moments, until she eventually stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek delicately.

She pulls away and bites her lip for a second before daring herself to ask, "Do you-" She frowns and runs her fingers back and forth along the door handle as he watches them, "Can you play baseball?"

He smiles and raises a brow, "I played a little when I was younger, why?"

"We, uh- We have this game tomorrow for the- For the hospital and I just- I wondered if you could play. And maybe-"

Jackson cuts her off to reassure her, "I will help out, if you want me to." He adds the latter part, gazing down at her lightly.

She gently fidgets and nods her head, "Thank you." She grasps the handle again and finally starts to turn around as he begins to back away down the hall to the living room.

"Night."

She turns at his call and grins before slipping her bedroom door shut for the night, "Goodnight, Peppermint."


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, this chapter is kind of all over the place but hopefully it makes some sense. I finish for my three week break on Friday so hopefully there will be quite a few updates for you guys over the holidays, for this fic and Closing Time. I just really wanted to update but I was in a hurry and yada yada yada... Anyway, enjoy and review! :)**

* * *

"Woah, you guys are really serious about this thing."

April rolls her eyes and turns to look at him, "We're serious people."

He grins and holds up the t-shirt, "I can see that." He mutters as he slips the top over his head and pulls it over his bare chest.

She ignores his comment and pins her hair into a loose braid, quickly tugging on the end to make sure it's tight before she glances over at him again.

Jackson shifts in the blue t-shirt, pulling on the edges, "Can I not just wear my-"

"No." She shakes her head and steps beside him to push him forward, her hand pressing hard against his back as they walk.

He wonders to himself why the hell he ever agreed to help her out with this, to make peace and get along with her co-workers.

"Kepner!"

April raises a brow as Mark Sloan approaches, swinging a bat in his hands.

The plastic surgeon stops in front of them and eyes Jackson up suspiciously, "Kepner, who's your friend?"

The pretty-man pipes up, holding out a hand, "Jackson Avery."

"Mark Sloan," He presents himself, shaking the younger man's hand with a smirk, "Well, aren't you a handsome man..."

"Oh my god." April squeaks as she ducks and shakes her head, running a hand over her face before she looks back up at her fellow doctor, "Doctor Sloan, what are you doing?"

Mark shrugs and continues to stare at Avery, sizing him up proudly, "I'm just surprised. You spend thirty years in a convent and you finally come out of hiding with this fine man? Good job, Kepner!"

"Dude, are you making a pass at me?" Jackson frowns.

"Woah, woah, no." Mark holds up his hands with a faint chuckle, "I'm a plastic surgeon, we have an eye for all things beautiful and your face definitely does not need any work. Great job, man." He compliments with a nod of the head.

"Uh- thanks, I guess?"

April folds her arms and coughs, "Sorry to ruin the moment, but you wanted me for something?"

Sloan glances back at her and grins, "Can you play?"

She frowns and folds her arms over her chest, "Does it look like I can swing a bat?"

He shrugs and hands her the bat anyway before he turns to walk away and rubs his hands together.

"Do you want me to do it?" Jackson asks from her side, watching as she twirls the bar uneasily in her small hands.

He's not gonna easy on her, but she obviously doesn't want to play the game so he figures that maybe he can help her out.

She sighs, "Can _you_ bat?"

He peels the stick from her hands and shrugs his shoulders up and down to warm up, "Have you seen me?" He teases and glances down at his toned arms and physique.

April gently blushes and scratches the back of her neck anxiously as she looks away from his arms, resisting the growing urge to reach out and touch him. "Okay." She mutters and bites her lip as she walks off, and he follows short behind her.

"Yo, Avery! My man!" Alex jogs over to the guy and pats his shoulder, "Where've you been, man? Kepner been keeping you busy?" He asks with an amused chuckle, his grin turning to a frown when the redhead swats his arm. "Hey, what the hell!"

She shakes her head and walks away from the two guys, her feet shuffling against the dirt on the field.

Jackson smirks, "Is she always like this?"

Alex shrugs carelessly and stops a yawn, "Dude, she's Kepner."

"Yeah, that really doesn't mean much to me. Like, at all." He raises a brow and continues to toy with the wooden baton.

"It means she's crazy." Alex laughs and slips the pitcher's glove over his hands as they head out onto the field. "Where the hell'd you two meet, anyway?"

"Huh?" Jackson pauses and fakes a smile, "At the , uh- We- The, uh- grocery store."

The surgeon grimaces, "Condom aisle?"

"Dude, seriously?"

"Come on, man. You're telling me you didn't cash in on her crazy v-card?"

Jackson grins and lightly taps him with the bat before Alex walks further away, "None of your business."

"God, I bet she's a nympho in bed!" Karev shouts behind him with a chuckle and Jackson smirks.

"Oh, you have no idea." He whispers to himself as he glances down at the ground and takes his stance, throwing his shoulders back and clasping the bat tight between his hands as he locks eyes with the petite redhead across the field, sat on the bench with her legs crossed beneath her.

April pushes a strand of hair behind her ear as Cristina comes to sit down beside her, leaning herself against the back of the bench and folding her hands behind her head.

Cristina smiles and gently nudges her, "So, Mer tells me that she found you getting your freak on with that guy in the lounge..."

The smaller woman rolls her eyes with a sigh and turns to look at the brunette, "Does everybody tell each other everything in this place?"

"You were the one fooling around in there. You could've at least found an on-call room, Kepner, geez." She shakes her head with a smirk and stands up then, stretching her arms. "So, was it good?"

"Was what good?"

Cristina points behind her, obviously referring to the man stood out on the field with her co-workers, "What the hell do you think I'm talking about? The sex! Don't tell me you're with him but you're still keeping your legs closed."

"Cristina!"

The cardio surgeon laughs and folds her arms proudly, "Gosh, you're such a prude. You're no fun."

"I- I am not a- A prude. I'm not." April mutters and glances down at the floor. She pulls her legs closer to her body and anxiously chews down on her lip.

"Yeah, sure. You're basically a nun for thirty years and I'm supposed to believe that you're suddenly a freak under the sheets?"

April stands up and closes her eyes for a second, "I'm not- I don't... I'm not that kind of person, okay? Yes, I waited a long, a really long, time to have sex, but you know what? I'm glad I did, and I would do it again. Granted, I finally gave in and gave it up and had sex, with him no less, and I'm sure that if I remembered it actually happening then it'd be even better, but I'm fine with it. I had sex, so what? I'm not a nun, I'm not a prude. But that doesn't mean that I'm a whore either."

Yang smirks again and eyes the redhead up and down, "You don't remember having sex? Oh my God, did he force you-"

"What?! No! God, no!" April urges, her forehead creased sharply and her eyes dark, "You really think that he'd still be here if he did that? And, well, no, I don't. We were pretty drunk, and it was late and-"

"Hold up. You lost your sacred little virginity with drunk sex? Oh, that's golden."

"I'm glad you're so happy about this." April walks around her and rests a hand against the metal fencing.

"I am happy for you, honestly. It's good that you finally let loose, beside maybe now you won't be so uptight all the freaking time." Cristina jokes before she pats her shoulder quickly and walks over to Meredith.

April stands in place, leaning forward and watching the match out on the field.

"Kepner!"

She looks over to Hunt when he calls her name. "What, Chief?"

"You're up." He tells her as she steps out and tugs on the edge of her t-shirt.

"Chief, I'm really not up for playing."

Owen lifts a brow and hands her the team hat, the Seattle Grace Mercy West logo written across the front. He chuckles and taps her head lightly, "Just be a team player, Kepner."

She groans and walks over to her base, kindly accepting the bat from Jackson's hands.

He slowly passes it over to her and smirks, "Nice hat."

April rolls her eyes and pushes against his chest to move him away, "Shut up." He leaves her then, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he walks backwards, watching her with a raised brow as she unsafely fondles the bat.

She almost drops it and he laughs to himself, wondering how it's possible for someone to be so clueless about such a popular sport.

He quickly runs back over to her and stands behind her body, taking her hands in his grasp and wrapping her fingers around the thick baton. She tries to ignore the feeling of his heated body pressed so tightly against her back, the feeling of his warm hands wrapped around her own fragile ones.

"Kepner, get a move on! Just imagine it's Avery's dick or something!

Her body freezes and she can faintly hear Jackson laugh gently beside her. He shakes his head and glances down at her, his eyes softening when he notices her expression, "Hey."

She looks up at him and licks her lips, nervous goosebumps making their way up her arms. She tries to tell herself that it's not because she's imagining what Alex just suggested. Oh shit, why does he have to look at her like that?

"I'm fine." She quietly speaks and he nods once before letting go of her hands and slowly backing away. She watches out of the corner of her eye as he gets pulled into a conversation by Mark and Derek, the former clearly introducing them.

This day can only get worse.

* * *

"Is this what you guys do all day?"

April giggles and leans back, resting her head down in his lap. "It's a little more complicated than that." She pokes his cheek and watches as he grins with a shake of the head.

The woman beside her, whose name he learnt was Callie, speaks up and hands over the bottle of vodka, which he gladly takes, "Enough about us! What about you, Avery? What d'you do?" She grabs the bottle of Jack Daniels that makes it way around the benches and swallows a large gulp before passing it over to April.

Jackson quickly down a sip of the strong vodka before squinting and staring up at the sky, "I am a bartender?" He informs the, his answer an actual question. He glances down at April and notices the smirk on her face as she closes her eyes. She giggles again, the alcohol clearly already having made its way into her system.

"Yep. He's a bartender." She prolongues the word and he rests a hand on her arm, his fingers tapping against her bare forearm gently. He takes note of her freezing cold skin and slips a hand to her waist, "You're cold."

April shakes her head and stares up at him, "Maybe, but you're hot." She laughs and cups the side of his face like a child, squeezing his cheek with a smile.

Cristina grins from the other end of the bleacher, "You guys are so icky, it's disgusting."

The redhead sits up then, "We're going home, don't worry." She stands up and tilts her head sideways to straighten the pull in her neck before she leans down and holds her hands out.

Jackson pulls himself up easily, choosing to ignore the fact that he didn't necessarily need to take her hand, and wraps an arm around her shoulders. They step down the bleachers, and he continues to walk away as April stops the snatch the bottle of Jack Daniels from Alex's hands.

"Bitch." He breathes with a frown and she smirks wickedly as she turns around and follows her husband out the court.

They head out into the parking lot, her arms flying loose and his remotely sober ones stuffed in his pockets.

"So, your friends are cool." He tells her and she stiffs a laugh.

"They're not my friends." She shakes her head for perhaps the seventh time that day and turns her head to look over at him. They're walking quite far away from each other but they gradually make their way to one another as they approach her car. "They just put up with me." She sounds down and slightly saddened at the thought.

Jackson steps closer to her, "Look, I'm no doctor, but I can tell that they care about you, alright? Believe me, I know what that looks like because I missed out on it my whole life."

"Aww, that's so sad." She pouts and cups the side of his face as they arrive by the side of her car. She leans back against the passenger side door and takes a silent moment to longingly stare up at his face. He's not looking at her so she takes the second to dart her eyes to his lips, licking her own in the process to soften them from the cold air, or at least that's what she tells herself. "_Peppermint_." She breathes the word almost silently, but his sudden laughter breaks the quiet and she grins at the sound. Great, she even has a thing for his laugh.

Her teeth tug on her bottom lip and she finds herself staring at his mouth again, her head tilting to the side and thumbs tracing over his cheeks softly.

"_Doctor_." He teases back, slightly moving forward so she's trapped between the car and his strong body. "I think I have a boo-boo." He smirks and places a hand on her hip as the other rests against the window beside her head.

April's face lightens up and she lifts her brows, a curious look on her face as she finds herself pressing further into him, "Oh, really?" Her hands slide from his face to his shoulders, "Well, luckily for you I am very good at healing boo-boos. Tell me where it hurts."

His hand hitches higher up her waist and he bends down slightly to her level, "Right here." He kisses her then, his lips pressed roughly against her own, his tongue clearly sweeping across her lower lip as her hands makes their way to his head, dragging her fingertips over his scalp when he picks her up suddenly. She pants out from the abruptness of his kiss and pulls away, for only a brief second to catch her breath, before wrapping her legs securely around his torso and bringing him up to meet her face again.

His arms wrap around her legs, his hands cupping her behind in his hands as he lifts her higher and settles her around him. He reaches behind her and pulls on the back door handle, letting it swing open as he somehow manoeuvres her inside the car and shuts the door behind them.

She shifts comfortably and rests back on her forearms, a soft frown emitting over her face as she watches him.

"What?"

April brushes it off, shaking the unsure feeling in her gut away, and smiles up at him as he comes to hover over her.

Jackson grips her hips again and pulls her waist up to meet his, his warm body pressing hard into her own cold one. She swallows a breath and moves her arms to claps around his neck. She shifts beneath him and pushes him back slightly so he falls flat against the back seat and she gazes down at him this time. Her hands find the back of his neck and she pulls her legs up at his sides, parting her thighs and straddling his lap.

She rests her hands flat against his chest and takes a deep breath before she speaks, trying to ignore the thought that maybe it's the alcohol talking, "I want to do it."

He throws his head back with a groan at the pressure she purposely applies against his groin and closes his eyes as he nods his head slowly. "Now or-"

April pauses her movements, her jean-clad crotch resting over his uncomfortably. Well, uncomfortably for him at least, she obviously had no idea what she was doing to him when she started grinding his lap.

Like a stripper, he thinks with a small laugh at the irony. A female stripper, that is. Not him, not a dude.

"No, not in the back of my car. I'm not a sixteen-year old girl, I am a grown-woman. A grown-up who does not remember her first time so... she's going to do it again, and you're going to do it with me. Okay?"

Jackson raises a brow and slightly sits himself up to shift her position against his groin, "Well-" He rubs a hand over his face, "What if I don't want to?"

She smirks and moves her legs, her palms pressing hard into his chest and she starts to shift herself over him again, "You don't?"

"OK, maybe I do."

April nods and taps her hands against his chest a couple of times, "Good. Now take me home, Peppermint."


End file.
